72 hours with the 86

[squelchy451]

Yup! Same license plate, just checked on Turo haha!

[dhuang]

Originally Posted by squelchy451

Yup! Same license plate, just checked on Turo haha!

Wow, small world indeed.

What's crazy is less than a month after renting the same 86 you drove, my roommate sold his AP2 S2000 + Miata (pending) and picked up a (very similar) '17 Ablaze 86 -- the Turo rental certainly made a strong impression on him.

(Our Ketchup & Mustard combo)

Originally Posted by dhuang

I think you and my roommate may have rented the same car from Turo!.

He rented an ND Miata in SF, hopped into a Jeep and drove down to LA, and spent a few days with a red 86 with TRD wheels & exhaust.

Came back to Atlanta and wanted move from the Miata platform to the twins.

[squelchy451]

ND engine and trans inside a BRZ layout would be perfect. The Skyactiv 2.0 was a capable little engine and I had no complaints when I had the Mazda3.
As it stands, the clutch and shifter on the 86 are the only things I didn't like.

[accwai]

Originally Posted by squelchy451

[...] Jeez, I guess my opinions aren't welcome here then.

I just wanted to point out how comfortable it actually is. All the other reviews I've seen focus way too much on how fun it is to drive. I'm out to buy the most fun comfortable car, and this falls under the 'comfortable' category in a way that the Mazda3 wasn't.

Oh your opinions are welcome for sure. But my wife would totally disagree with your point about comfort. And she's been on the passenger side of an 86 of the exact description as yours (same color, model, TRD stuff etc) for a lot more than 72 hours. So I would assume her opinion would count for something too

[Th3rdSun]

Originally Posted by squelchy451

ND engine and trans inside a BRZ layout would be perfect. The Skyactiv 2.0 was a capable little engine and I had no complaints when I had the Mazda3.
As it stands, the clutch and shifter on the 86 are the only things I didn't like.

The clutch is a bit high compared to other MTs and took me quite a while to get use to. The shifter is fine,but becomes great if you add a Raceseng Ashiko weighted knob,and I can't even imagine what it would feel like if I put a Kartboy in!

[bandy]

OP: I'm @dhuang's roommate. I really enjoyed that rental and ended up buying essentially the same car once I made it back home. I enjoyed taking that car around the fun roads near LA and el mirage but it took me over an hour to detail the car before I brought it back. Hope it was still clean for you

[Xerexyz]

Originally Posted by squelchy451

ND engine and trans inside a BRZ layout would be perfect. The Skyactiv 2.0 was a capable little engine and I had no complaints when I had the Mazda3.
As it stands, the clutch and shifter on the 86 are the only things I didn't like.

As long as it is the newer higher revving version of the 2.0.

Honestly though, I owned a Mazda3 2.5 MT for 2 years and never really liked the engine much, it was the weakest link. Maybe it was just the gearing and the fact that the 3s are setup for efficiency.

At least the FA20 has some kind of character to it.

[WNDSRFR]

Originally Posted by squelchy451

I'm probably going to keep the GTI for the long term. Still a fun ride, I just wish more cars didn't do this little shimmy at highway speeds.

What GTI do you have?
I still have my 2002 Mk IV. It has over 275,000 miles on it and still runs like new.(after spending 10's of thousands of dollars over the years to keep it running. I stripped out the interior and use it pretty much as a pickup truck anymore. Just taking out the seats alone lightens it by at least 300 lbs. It really hauls ass now.
As far as shifter comparisons, the FR-S has the tightest shifter I've ever had. And I've had a lot. The GTI has by far the worst shifter ever made IMO. It feels like moving a stick around in a tub of luke warm tar.
Once you buy the 86 you'll never drive the VW again. I'll bet.

[squelchy451]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

What GTI do you have?
I still have my 2002 Mk IV. It has over 275,000 miles on it and still runs like new.(after spending 10's of thousands of dollars over the years to keep it running. I stripped out the interior and use it pretty much as a pickup truck anymore. Just taking out the seats alone lightens it by at least 300 lbs. It really hauls ass now.
As far as shifter comparisons, the FR-S has the tightest shifter I've ever had. And I've had a lot. The GTI has by far the worst shifter ever made IMO. It feels like moving a stick around in a tub of luke warm tar.
Once you buy the 86 you'll never drive the VW again. I'll bet.

I have a 2007. I do have a Neuspeed short shifter, some cable end bushings, and a South Bend clutch, so the drivetrain feels super solid. The stock shifter, while vague, is smooth.

Maybe I had a bad apple, but the shifter on 86 just felt very flimsy. It was cool seeing the stick shake a little when you fire up the engine, but using it wasn't exactly what I expected. Maybe bushings, weighted shift knob, or some other aftermarket part could take care of that.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by squelchy451

I have a 2007. I do have a Neuspeed short shifter, some cable end bushings, and a South Bend clutch, so the drivetrain feels super solid. The stock shifter, while vague, is smooth.

Maybe I had a bad apple, but the shifter on 86 just felt very flimsy. It was cool seeing the stick shake a little when you fire up the engine, but using it wasn't exactly what I expected. Maybe bushings, weighted shift knob, or some other aftermarket part could take care of that.

Keep in mind that the shifter in the 86 is hard mounted directly to the transmission with only 4 inches of shaft between them. There are no cables, rods or other isolating parts that reduce vibrations.
The direct connection also is what makes it feel weird when used to cables and shafts. You get used to it really fast. To me cable type shifters feel sloppy and loose.

[Jordanwolf]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Keep in mind that the shifter in the 86 is hard mounted directly to the transmission with only 4 inches of shaft between them. There are no cables, rods or other isolating parts that reduce vibrations.
The direct connection also is what makes it feel weird when used to cables and shafts. You get used to it really fast. To me cable type shifters feel sloppy and loose.

Agree.

[EAGLE5]

I like the GTI. When I got the FRS, it was in third place, behind the Abarth and tied with the Golf R. If the GTI or R were cheaper, maybe things woulda been different. We also ended up getting a Fiat 500E, which is like an Abarth with a better motor and worse suspension. Honestly, one of the most fun cars ever. I still think of buying a 500e, stripping the interior completely, putting on some hacked together Bilsteins, and installing a Recaro seat. It would be epic fun.

I no longer dream of the GTI or Golf R at all.

[squelchy451]

I was surprised that I preferred the shifter on the GTI, as you all correctly pointed out, is a cable linked mechanism. Stock-for-stock, the 86 wins out marginally, but with the aftermarket bits, the GTI feels better for me. I'll definitely invest in a short shifter kit and a mount insert when I do get a 86/BRZ. I just love the steering feel more than anything else.

[DarkSunrise]

Also surprised about your preference for the GTI gearshift. I recently drove a MT mk5 GTI and the shifter was smooth, but vague. Fun car otherwise though with a stage 2 package.